@ Catchfire #49
Agreed, absolutely, on all except one point.
Responsibility may not be an absolute concept, but it is far from nebulous. Any mature person knows what it means. It is simply understanding (as best as you can) the effect of the things you say and do, accepting ownership of them, and being prepared to back them up and accept the consequences for them.
The idea that this is a legal concept or should be is a red herring. States impose censorship (in most cases) to control, manipulate and shut out voices, which is an entirely different thing.
Artists have greater freedom than the rest of us, and with that comes greater responsibility. But it does not mean they have carte blanche and it is still a contract which can be broken, in my opinion.
How this works in practical terms for me? If I saw something that did not pass for me I certainly wouldn't expect the cops to throw it on the fire, but I would be less inclined to support someone claiming the art defense,
(edit)
Woudl it get to the point that I would actually want to prevent a piece of art from being shown? I am deeply opposed to absolute censorship, but in theory I think there might be some things that would drive me to that. Supportring freedom of speech is one thing; playing the patsy to someone who wants fo abuse that principle for self-indulgent or hateful ends is quite another.